Actuating mechanism for gearing



Feb. 16, 1937.v

S. C. OLSZEWSKI ACTUTING MECHANISM FOR GEARING Filed Dec. 9, 1935 Inventu' Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. '757) The invention desoribed herein may be manufaotured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. I

This invention relates to an aotuating mechanism for gearing.

The purpose of the invention is to provide means for automatically looking .gearing when an aotuating handle is released and for automatically unlocking it When the handle is initially moved.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A praotical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the aooompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal seotional view of a traversing mechanism oonstructed in aocordanoe with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown a support 5 having a rail 6 whereby a member such as a turret 1 is rotatably mounted through rollers 8.

The traversing mechanism for rotating the turret oomprises a gear case 9 fixed to the inner wall of the turret and depending below the support. A drive shaft IB in the upper part of the case oarries a gear wheel Il which meshes with a pinion |2 on a driven shaft |3 in the lower part of the case. The driven shaft extends through the case and oarries a pinion |4 which is retained by a nut 15. The pinion |4 meshes With a rack IB on the lower side of the support.

A orank handle l'l is freely mounted on the drive shaft IO.

A looking plate I 8 which is in the form of a toothed ring ooaxial with the drive shaft IO is positioned between the orank handle and the gear case and is fixed to the case by one or more screws |9.

A latch comprises an arm 20 positioned between the orank handle and looking plate and having a slot 2| whereby it is guided on the drive shaft IO for movement radially of the looking plate |8 and on arm 22 which is connected to the outer end of the arm 20 by a pivot pin 23 and is provided with one or more teeth 24 adapted to engage the teeth of the looking plate. The latch is also arranged for rotational movement with the drive shaft IO by means of a connector in the form of a drum 25 which is fast on the drive drum oarries the outer end of the latch arm 22V by means of a pivot pin 26. A spring 21 associated with the drum and With the pin 23 normally urges the latch towards the drive shaft so that its teeth Ef Will engage the looking plate.

The latch arm 2B is formed with a pair of oppositely arranged seats 28-28 adapted to be engaged by a pair of pins 29-29 oorrespondingly positioned on the orank handle. The orank handle extends through an opening 30 in the rim of the drum and has a limited arouate movement before it bears against the drum.

The orank handle is normally in a position relative to the drum as shown in Fig. 2 by virtue of the arrangement therewith of the springpressed latch through the seats 28 and pins 29. The latch is normally engaged With the rooking plate 48 and acts through its arm 22 to hold the drum 25 and drive shaft IO against movement. In this position of adjustment the turret 'l cannot be moved.

When the orank handle is moved from the position of rest into engagement with the drum 25 it acts through one or the other of its pins 29 to disengage the latch from the looking plate. On oontinued rotation the handle acts directly on the drum and also through the latch 20-22 to produce rotation of the drum and through it the drive shaft Ill, the gearing and the turret. The latch is rotatable with the drum and whenever pressure on the orank handle is released the latch is immediately moved by its spring into engagement with the looking plate and during this movement it restores the orank handle to the neutral position of rest.

I claim:

1. In an actuating mechanism, a gear case, a drive shaft mounted in the case and projeoting therefrom, a looking plate ooaxial with the drive shaft and fixed on the outside of the case, a

drum fast on the projecting end of the shaft and having an opening in its rim, a handle freely mounted on the shaft and extending through the opening in the drum, a latch oomprising pivotally connected arms one of which is guided on the drive shaft and the other of which has pivoted engagement with the drum, said other latch arm movable into and out of engagement with the looking plate, a spring normally holding the latch in engagement With the looking plate, seats on opposite sides of the latch arm on the drive shaft and pins on the handle each engageable with a seat of the latch arm for the purpose of moving the latch out of engagement with the looking plate.

2. In an actuating mechanism, a gearV case, a drive shaft mounted in the case and projecting therefrom, a looking plate ooaxial with the drive shaft and fixed on the outside of the case, a drum fastron the projecting end of the shaft and having v an opening in its rim, a handle freely mounted on the shaft and extending through the opening in 10 the drum, a latch comprising pivotally connectedV arms one of which is guided on the drive shaft into and 'out of engagement with the locking` plate, a spring normally holding the latch in engagement With the looking plate, and means whereby the handle disengages the latch from the looking plate.

S'I'EPI'NV o. oLszEWsKI. 

